


I Am Warmed By Your Friendship

by EmberandShadow



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Domestic, Fluff, M/M, nygmobblepot week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2019-01-01 03:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12147219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberandShadow/pseuds/EmberandShadow
Summary: Nygmobblepot Week- Day Three: Domestic"I wasn't sure you'd come.""I got your letter."





	I Am Warmed By Your Friendship

It’s a calculated decision. Oswald spends weeks deliberating on the thought, making sure it’s the right thing to do. He needs to unfreeze Edward. He plans it all out, thinks about what he’s going to say to the man, how he’s going to apologize. He’s not going to be there when Ed gets out of the ice, he knows that would be stupid; who knows what state of mind Ed will be in. So he’ll give him a letter, make it personal, leave everything up to Ed. Oswald will put the power in his hands, just to see if that will make a difference. He thinks it all through- if he gives Ed the power he might just accept Oswald’s apology, and they just might be able to work things through.

Because if he’s honest, Oswald needs Ed.

So now he sits in the parlor drinking whisky waiting for Ed. There’s a gun on the table nearby, just in case Ed comes by with the idea of killing him. In the letter he’d been apologetic, took blame for everything, explained why he needed Ed with him- even if it was in a strictly platonic partnership. He’d asked Ed to meet him at the mansion at eight if he was willing to talk about things, to try and work out a way they could work together again, and if he didn’t show up Oswald would know that they could never be friends again. Still, Ed could still come by to get his revenge.

Oswald’s staring at the fire, his back to the entrance, and he knows that’s dangerous but he’s trying to extend to Ed an air of trust. He doesn’t hear Ed walk in, doesn’t know that he’s even there, until he knocks gently on the doorframe.

Oswald stands, sets his glass down on the table, and faces Ed.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come.” Oswald admits.

“I got your letter,” Ed shifts, looks down, and then looks back up at Oswald, “Can we just skip this?”

“What do you mean?” Oswald asks.

Ed walks toward Oswald, making sure his movements are careful- not to be misconstrued as aggressive- and he pulls Oswald into a hug. Oswald is shocked for a moment, but then he wraps his arms around Ed in return and holds him close.

“Can we talk later?” Ed asks him, “Can we just forget it all for a moment? Because I could really use a friend right now and you’re all I have.”

Oswald smiles even though Ed can’t see it. “Of course.”

***

Ten minutes later Ed is under a blanket, sitting comfortably on the couch, and Oswald walks in with hot tea and sandwiches. Oswald sets the platter on the coffee table and sits down as well.

“I have to admit, I’m glad to see you running things in this town.” Ed says, picking up one of the tea cups and taking a sip.

“What? Did you expect me to not get this town back under my thumb?” Oswald raises an eyebrow.

Ed smiles, “It’s not that I didn’t expect you to _want_ to or to even _try_. It’s just, Barbara can be quite tenacious when it comes to the things she wants.”

“I haven’t seen Barbara around in months.” Oswald confesses, thinking about the strangeness of that for a moment, “She disappeared right around the same time I froze you.”

Ed thinks about that too for a moment. And then they both move on.

“You look good, Oswald.” Ed starts, shifting a bit before taking another sip of his tea, “You look happy. Ruling Gotham truly suits you.”

“It’d be a lot easier with my right hand back at my side.” Oswald says, hinting at the fact that he needs Ed back with him.

“Is that why you unfroze me? I know in your letter you said you worked better with my mind at your side, but was that the only reason?” It feels like Ed is reaching for something, prodding Oswald for a specific answer.

“Yes, Ed. I was at my height with you, and I messed that up. But I kind of need you.” Oswald looks away, downs his tea in one shot.

“I need you too, Oswald,” Oswald looks up at that, “You’re about the only person in this city that I can actually stand.”

Oswald lets out a soft laugh, and Ed continues, “Are you ready to end this? To put the past behind us? We could go on like this for years, always trying to destroy each other, always trying to get revenge, but I don’t think any one of us will ever truly win.”

“I think your right. We’re too evenly matched.”

“That, and… I’ve missed you.” Ed says softly, eyes searching Oswald’s.

“What?”

“I got so caught up in trying to get back at you that I never stopped to tell you that I missed you.” Ed says.

“You did?”

“I tried so hard to fill the hole killing you left in my world.” Ed shakes his head, looks at Oswald without backing down, he says it all without being embarrassed, “But there’s no one who can compare to you, Oswald.”

Oswald feels like crying. Or like laughing. Or both. He just needs to do something to get this odd feeling out of his chest because the last time it was there he ended up ruining his whole life and nearly dying. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes for a moment, and then looks back up at Ed.

“So you’ll stay?” He asks.

Ed smiles, “I’ll stay.”

**Author's Note:**

> You know when you listen to a song and the lyrics just so perfectly fit these two? Yeah that happens to me all the time, for instance the lyric that inspired this fic (from Depeche Mode's song It Doesn't Matter),   
> "If we should meet again don't try to solve the puzzle, just lay down next to me, and please don't move a muscle."


End file.
